Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-01-29
ORIGIN OF THE KNIGHTS.

Hon. Carroll d. Wright, [. S. labor sta
tistician. gives an account of the origin of
the Knights of Labor, in recent number of
the Quarterly Journal Of Economics. He
states that the organization had its first in
ception on Thanksgiving Day, in 1869, in
Philadelphia, and that Uriah S. Stephens
was its father. For several years previous
to this date the garment cutters of Philadel-
phia had been organized as a trades union,
but had failed to maintain a satisfactory
rate of wages in their trade. A
feeling of dissatisfaction prevailed.
which resulted, in the fall of 1869 in a
vote to disband the union. Stephens, fore
seeing this result, had quietly prepared the
bracing AL branches of honorable toll, -
and based upon education, which, through
cooperation and an intelligent use of the
ballot, should gradually abolish the present
wages system. Stephens was Mason. and
afterward Greenback Labor agitator, and
after varied experiences and fortunes, he
held meeting of the dsbanded members
of the Garment Cutters Union. at
his house, 2+37 Coral street, Phila-
delphia, on the evening of November
25th. 1869. What occurred at that time is
stated As follows by MIR. Wright:
Stephens then laid before his guests the
plan of an organization. which he desig-
mated The Noble and Holy Order of the
Knights of Labor" II was new depart
ure in labor organization. The founder
described what he considered ten.
dency toward large combinations of capital
and argued that the trades union form OF
organization was like a bundle of sticks
when unbOund-weak and pOwerless tC
resist combination. The remedies he adyO
Gated must come largely through legislation
and process of education on the part O
wage workers first, TO nj them properly fO
, the work of organization. To this end. h,
| urged the creation of the local assembly a,
| the primary school of labor. Stephens
great controlling ideas may be formulated
As follows: First, that surplus labor Away
| keeps wages down. and, second, that moth
| ing can remedy this evil but a purely
and deeply secret organization. baSe(
upon a plan that shall teach, %
rather inculcate, organization. an,
at the same time educate its membership t
one set of ideas ultimately subverSive o
the present wages system. MIR. Stephens
associates, or those who agreed with him Il
| form secret society 10 take the place o
| the diSbanded Garment Cutters union. wer
James l.. Wright, Robert c. McCaury
/ Joseph 5. Kennedy, William Cook, Rober
W keene and James NJ HilSee. At a sub
sequent meeting, held December 2S, 1869
! upon the report Of committee on ritual
| involving obligations and OathS, Mr.. Steph
ems and his six associates subscribed thei
| names 10 the obligations, and, when tn
| ritual was adopted. Mr.. James l.. Wrigh
moved that the new order be named tn
knights of Labor"
Immediately thereafter, the ritual of tn
order was elaborated and its name wa
kept so secret that for a long time it wa
known only as the society of the thre
stars.
OF the order and the Trades Unions
Mr. Wright speaks As follows In his clOsin.
paragraph:
Whether this great order is to be hereaf
ter factor for good or for evil depends up
on the wisdom not alone of its leaders, bu
of that vast army of workers constitutin.
| its rank and file. 1t stands today as an or
ganiZation representing the opposite of tn,
trades union. and is bending all its energiea
TO preserve the broad principle of the har
monious Interviewing of all interests Il
against the trades union idea, which come
| closer to human nature, of the preservation
of individual interests. Which idea will
survive and become the leading fundamen
| tai element CT the future great labor organ
| iZations is the problem. Whichever it ma,
be, the prayer of every patriotic citizen il
that the organization based upon the sur
viying idea shall work for the cause of hu
manity, for the preservation of order an,
the rtclgn.t on of the law. Certain it i
that neither the trades unions nor tn,
Knights of Labor call upon their member
| for any obligation OF pledge interferin!
, with their duties as citizens. They know
that they must stand on the principle tha
a man must be citizen first, good, law
| abiding citizen, before he can be faithful
member of any organization within society